Nearly every industry utilizes fiberglass and fiber-reinforced materials for a variety of components and products. Worldwide demand for these materials has exploded due to increased demand for both consumer and industrial products, most notably in electronics, aircraft, construction, renewable energy, automotive, and infrastructure development (e.g. public structures). In United States, China, and India, nearly 80% of consumer purchases are discarded after a single use. These economies offer a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the surplus of useable waste materials. The global demand for clean energy and infrastructure up-gradation is also expected to boost the composite fiber glass industry's growth in the future.
The government of the United States has become increasingly interested in developing sustainable energy infrastructure. Onshore wind resources could generate nearly 37,000,000 gigawatt-hours annually, more than nine times current total electricity consumption in the United States. In 2009, the wind industry added nearly 10,000 megawatts of new capacity, enough to power the equivalent of 2.4 million homes or generate as much electricity as three large nuclear power plants. Therefore, fiberglass demand from wind turbine manufacturers is expected to grow considerably over the next decade. A single turbine blade may require 28,600 pounds of fiberglass.
Fiberglass and fiber-reinforced materials are also in demand in construction of buildings, roads and other infrastructure. In the United States, insulation demand is expected to rise 5.3% annually through 2012, based on renewed growth in housing construction. Fiberglass will remain the leading insulation material and outpace demand for the second largest type, foamed plastic. Fiberglass building materials are the newest and most promising advancement in the construction material industry. In the past, steel doors and plastic vinyl windows dominated the building market. But market trends are quickly transforming the marketplace. Fiberglass is more aesthetically pleasing than steel and vinyl, and can be designed to appear identical to wood but last for decades of use. Whereas vinyl windows cannot be painted, fiberglass frames can be painted in any color. From 2000 to 2005, the fiberglass door market increased from 9% to 23% of the market and was expected to reach 33% by the end of 2009. Indeed, fiberglass doors and windows have become the preferred material for such building products. Other growth areas in the pipes, power poles, automobile and marine construction.
Concrete can be strengthened by 70% using recycled fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP). Moreover, FRP material has been proven to also improve asphalt, rubber, and wood products. Material can be applied to improve, guard rail posts, drop blocks for bridge walls, expansion joints, sign posts, noise barriers, traffic barriers, light posts, curbing, erosion control, and quick fix coating and fillers. FRP materials can be used in the repair of roads in poor condition and in the repair of bridges in the United States.
In many ways, however, fiberglass and fiber-reinforced materials have become problematic both in consumer and commercial markets due to negative environmental effects. Fiberglass insulation, among other products, for example, is now viewed as a potential hazard to the environment and one's health if inhaled. In fact, the state of California mandates that “fiberglass producers to use at least thirty percent post-consumer cullet in fiberglass building insulation made or sold in California” (California Integrated Waste Management Board, 2009). At the same time, there is a growing demand for recycling and recycled consumer products in the U.S. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans are recycling now more than ever in U.S. history. In 1990, Americans recycled 16% of waste, a percentage that increased to 32% in 2005. Municipal solid waste also decreased by two million tons to just under 246 million tons nationwide.
Fiberglass and other fiber-reinforced materials have long been difficult to recycle into new and useful products. Some manufacturers of fiberglass goods, for example, are trying to dramatically increase use of reclaimed fiberglass in the production processes. While these companies have investigated methods to reclaim fiberglass for consumer products both domestically and abroad, manufacturers have only been able to obtain sufficient reclaimed fiberglass to replace ten to twenty-five percent of virgin resins used in fiberglass products. In many cases, large-scale items such as composite windmill turbine blades are simply buried in landfills or burned.
There are many reasons for the interest in maximizing the use of reclaimed fiber-reinforced products. While reclaimed fiberglass offers a way to reduce manufacturing costs, environmental concerns are also motivating manufacturers to reuse or recycle fiber-reinforced products. Consumers are showing a preference for environmentally aware manufacturers, and the federal and state governments are investigating the mandating of a timetable to eliminate fiberglass from the waste stream or mandating the use of recycled composite materials in finished goods.
Past attempts at recycling fiberglass have failed because the process of breaking down the discarded materials was too complex and costly, and because the collection system to ensure an ample supply of incoming materials was not in place. Past equipment lacked the necessary advancement to produce viable reclaimed fiber-reinforced products. Many of the ventures failed because they could not get enough raw materials to meet the demands. Furthermore, the concerns of contingent liability prevented some generators from sending materials to be recycled.
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